The jail inmates have repaired the basketball court’s drainage, built kitchen cabinets and pressure-washed and painted the entire complex, Navy said. They also are waxing the indoor basketball court and fixing bathroom stalls.

East Houma is eager to see the improvements and is looking forward to fostering more after school programing, Fusilier said.

“Right now education is our priority, and that’s what the community needs,” resident Elesha Williams said.

<p>Plans to add classrooms and multi-purpose room to the Mechanicville Gym are in the works, Recreation District 11 officials said.</p><p>“It's been a long time coming,” said District 11 Chair Vincent Fusilier, who also emphasized the community's need for the expansion.</p><p>The district wants to add a building with gathering space for neighborhood events and areas for children to work on after-school activities, Fusilier said.</p><p>Councilman John Navy said he expects the construction to cost less than $1 million. The district will approach the state for money in October and hopes to break ground sometime next year.</p><p>Kyle Domangue architect and Houma native, is drawing up the plans free of charge.</p><p>“My main goal is a structure,” he said at a community meeting last week.</p><p>“We want to use a pre-fabricated metal building with a fašade,” Domangue said. </p><p>A breezeway would connect the new building with the older structure.</p><p>Parking spaces also could be easily added, he said.</p><p>The gym was built in 1975 and has never been renovated, Navy said. </p><p>The Recreation District has spent $20,700 so far to remodel the gym's aging facilities, said its accountant Terri St. Peter. </p><p>Sheriff Jerry Larpenter offered Sheriff's Office trusties' labor free of charge.</p><p>The jail inmates have repaired the basketball court's drainage, built kitchen cabinets and pressure-washed and painted the entire complex, Navy said. They also are waxing the indoor basketball court and fixing bathroom stalls.</p><p>East Houma is eager to see the improvements and is looking forward to fostering more after school programing, Fusilier said.</p><p>“Right now education is our priority, and that's what the community needs,” resident Elesha Williams said.</p>